Photographer&#39;s dark room.



V. SEKINGR.

PHOTOGRAPHEBS DARK BOOM.

APPLICATION FILED OOIT. 8,1907.

Patented m1151909.

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PHOTOGEAPHERS DARK ROOM.

APPLICATION FILED OGT. 8,1907.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

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UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

VICTOR SEKINGER, OF JEANNETTE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PHOTOGRPHERS DARK ROOM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR SEKINGER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Jeannette, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fhotographers Dark Room, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a photographers dark room, and more particularly to a portable compartment in which lilms and plates can be developed, and plate holders re-loaded.

PMy invention has for its object to provide a novel folding compartment for developing trays, the compartment being so constructed that it can be easily carried, manipulated, and used with perfect safety with respect to the plates or films developed or manipulated therein.

My invention aims to provide a portable compartment shaped similar to an ordinary grip or valise, lwhereby the compartment can be easily carried by amateurs, staff and field photographers, who find it necessary to immediately develop plates and `films that have been exposed. Y

To this end, I have constructed a simpl and inexpensive dark room wherein novel means is employed for insuring darkness during the manipulation and developing of a plate or iilm within the dark room.

The dark room is constructed to facilitate the work of an operator when developing plates or films and after being once placed in an operative position, it can be used to expeiCllitiously produce fully developed plates or The detail construction entering into my invention will be presently described and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dark room folded so that it may be readily carried, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the darkroom, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the dark room in position to be used for developing plates orfilms, Fig. 5 is afront elevation of the dark room as closed or in a portable position, the same being broken away and partly in section to illustrate one of the spacing supports thereof, Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the dark room in position to be used, Fig. 7 is a cross sec- Speccationof Letters Patent.

Application led October 8, 1907.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

serial No. 396,417.

tional view of the same, and Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of a detachable lamp house.

To put my invention into practice, I provide a dark room of a box-like structure 1, preferably constructed of wood or similar light and durable material. The upper inner edges of the structure l are provided with inwardly projecting strips 2 for retaining a rectangular frame 3 in engagement with the structure 1, said frame 3 being of a depth corresponding approximately to the depth of the structure 1 and telescoped thereby. The frame 3 besides having retaining flanges 4, has its upper edge provided with a rim 5, recessed as at 6 to receive a hinged lid 7, carried by the rim 5 of the frame 3.

The frame 3 is retained in an elevated posi-v tion by spacer supports 8 pivotally mounted, as at 9, in slots 10 provided therefor in the rim 5 of the frame 3. rlhe supports are swung downwardly to rest upon the upper edges of the structure 1 and support the frame 3 in a raised or elevated position. The spacer supports are arranged at the front and rear edges of the rim 5, whereby the frame 3 will be substantially supported.

The frame 3 is retained within the structure 1 by pivoted latches 11 carried by the front edgeof the rim 5, said latches engaging pins 12 carried by the structure 1 and pins 14 carried by the front edge of the hinged lid 7. These double latches retain the dark room in a cfmpact form, while the same is not being use The front wall of the frame 3 is provided with an oblong opening 15 for a flexible hood 16 having two hand openings 17, provided with elastic bands (not shown) for retaining the hood snugly upon the wrist of a person's arms inserted through the hood into the structure 1 or the frame 3. The flexible hood 16 is preferably made of a light proof material, such as rubber silk, and permits of a person freely manipulating his hands within the structure 1 or the frame 3.

One end of the frame 3 is slotted, as at 18, for a flexible chute 19, having buttons 20, whereby the chute can be closed to prevent light'passing through the same. The plate holders or film rolls, from which plates or films have been removed, can be ejected from the dark room through said chute.

The rear wall of the frame 3 is provided with an opening 21 covered by a colored piece of transparent material 22 such as red glass, or a material conducive to the developtially rectangular in cross section and provided with a rear hinged door 26, whereby easy access can be had to the interior of the lamp house 25 Without removing the same from-engagement with the dark room. To firmly hold the lamp house in position in front ofthe opening 21, I provide'the edges Vwith clips 27 for engaging the top edges of the structure 1, and the resilient clip 28 for engaging under the rim 5 of the frame 8.

In the lamp house 25 is arranged a candle or lamp holder 29 and a detachable incandescent bulb and reflector 30,'wliich is fed from a storage battery 31, carried within the lamp house, when the incandescent bulb is to be used as a lighting medium. In order that 'the electrical circuit can be easily controlled,

a switch 32 of 'a conventional form. is arranged atV the lower edge of the frame 3.

I'he end of the frame 3 opposite the chute 19 is provided-with an opening 33 covered by lanv ordinary lens and shutter 34, whereby the light will be admitted to the interior of the dark room, thus permitting of the dark room being used in the day time, particularly by travelers, who often desire to develop films or plates or print postal cards or pictures upon a sensitized paper. To further aid the operator in observing the interior of the dark room, the-hinged lid 7 is provided with an opening 35 covered by a colored piece of glass 36. The opening 35 is shielded/by an auxiliary hinged lid 37 having iiexible side shields 38. The auxiliary lid 37 when closed lies flush with the hinged lid 7 yand is retained'in a closed position by a conventional form of clasp 39.

In the box like structurel can be placed a 'suitable number of vtrays 40 for developing or lxing films or plates therein. rlhe structure l1 is also provided with a suitable handleel,

whereby the same can be easily carried. `When the dark room is in a closed and portable condition, the trays 40 are piled one upon the other and the lamp house 25 placed within the structure. rIhe glass covered openings of theframe 3 are shielded by the telescopic structure 1. In this position, the dark room can be easily carried.

Vhen the dark room is to be used, the film rolls or platefholders are removed from the camera, and' after the frame 3 hast-been elevated Vand the spacer'supportsproperly arranged, the trays can-be filled' with the developing and fixing solutions, and the iihn's,

rolls or plate holdersplaced in the' dark room.

--Theoperator then inserts his hands through the hand opening `17 of the hood 16 and by observing through the opening 35 the films or plates can be easily manipulated within Vw-the dark room during the manipulation and development of the films or plates, the film rollers or plate holders being ejected through the chute 19.

rIhe lamp house 25 is easily controlled from the interior of the dark room or from the. exterior thereof, and as each and every opening is shielded by a hood, chute or covered glass, perfect safety of developing plates or films within the dark room is assured.

To prevent light from penetrating in cracks or joints in the construction of the dark room, I cover the exterior surface of the entire dark room with oil cloth, leather or a similar material.

It is thought that the operation and usefulness of my dark room will be apparent to photographers, and those skilled in theart. It is obvious that such changes in the structural details as are permissible by the appended claims can be resorted t0 without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I' claim as new, is

1. A photographers dark room embodying a frame, a box-like structure adapted to telescope said frame, a hinged lid carriedby said frame and having an opening formed therein, an auxiliary shielded lid adapted to Vclose said opening, said frame having openings formed therein, a flexible hood normally closing one of said openings, a flexible chute normally closing another of said openings, a lamp house detachably connected to Said frame adjacent to another ofsaid openings, spacing supports or supporting said frame in an elevated position with respect to said box-like structure; double clasps for holding said lid, frame and box-like structure together, and a handle carried by said boxlike structure.

2. A photographersdark room embodying a frame, a box-like structure adapted to telescope said frame, a hinged lid carried by said frameand having an opening formed therein, anl auxiliary shielded lid adapted to close said opening, said frame having openings formed therein, a flexible hood normally closing one of said openings, a flexible chute normally closing another of said openings, a lamp house detachably connected to said frame adjacent to another of said openings, spacing supports for supporting said frame in an elevated position with respect to said box-like structure; and double clasps for holding? said lid, frame and ybox-like-structure together. Y

3.A photographers dark room'embodying a frame, a box-like structure adapted to telescope said frame, a hinged lid carried by eoasea said frame and having an opening formed therein, an auxiliary shielded lid adapted to close said opening, said frame having openings formed therein, a flexible hood normally closing one of said openings, a ilexible chute normally closing another of said openings, a lamp house detachably `connected to said frame adjacent to another of said openings, and spacing supports for supporting said frame in an elevated position With respect to said box-like structure.

4. A photographers dark room comprising a frame, a box-like structure telescoping said frame and having an opening formed therein, said frame having openings formed therein, a flexible hood normally closing one of said openings, a flexible chute normally closing another of said openings, a lamp house detachably connected to said frame adjacent to another of said openings, and means for maintaining said frame in an elevated position with respect to said box-like structure.

5. A photographers dark room comprising a frame, a box-like structure telescoping said frame and having an opening formed therein, said frame having openings formed therein, a exible hood normally closing one vof said openings, a iexible chute normally closing another of said openings, a lamp house detachably connected to said frame adjacent to another of said openings.

6. A photogra hers dark room comprising a portable fo ding com artment, a portion o said compartment aving openings formed therein, a hood normally closing one of said openings, a chute normally closing another of said openings, a lamp house detachably connected to a portion of said comartment adjacent to another of said ope ings, and means for retaining said compart ment in a folded position.

7. A photographers dark room comprising a structure, a movable frame housed by said structure, a hinged lid carried by said frame, said frame having openings formed therein, and a lamp house arranged exteriorly of and detachably connected to said frame.

8. A photographers dark room comprising a structure, a movable frame housed by said structure, a lid hinged to said frame, a lamp house arranged exteriorly of and detachably connected to said frame, and means for retaining said frame Within said structure.

9. A photographers dark room comprising a structure, a movable frame housed by said structure, a lid hinged to said frame, and a lamp house arranged exteriorly of and detachably connected to said frame.

10. A photographers dark room comprising a portable structure, a movable frame housed thereby, and a lamp house arranged exteriorly of and detachably connected to said frame.

In testimony whereof I ahx my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

- VICTOR SEKINGER. Witnesses:

T. C. BECKER, S. C. DAUGHERTY. 

